Oregon Wolf Census Overshadowed by Recent Lethal Actions

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) released the 2017 Oregon wolf count today. The total number of wolves was 124, up just 11 percent from last year. Breeding pairs returned to their 2015 level of 11, after a concerning decline between 2015 and 2016. Only one additional pack was formed in the state, bringing the total number to 12.

The key observation in this report is the 41 percent decrease in depredations, while wolf populations and breeding pairs – crucial measures of successful recovery – continue to grow. This announcement comes in the same week that ODFW reported another a poaching incident, and approved a lethal removal order on the Pine Creek Pack that has already resulted in the death of a young female wolf.

Quinn Read, Northwest director for Defenders of Wildlife, issued this statement:

“This evidence shows that we can exist on the Oregonian landscape side-by-side with wolves. ODFW should be looking at how to support these successes, rather than encouraging reckless lethal removal protocols.

“As we continue to work toward recovery of wolves in Oregon, we put our full support behind coexistence efforts. Nonlethal methods are proven to be more effective at preventing conflicts than lethal removal. We stand by coexistence techniques as a necessary tool for wolf recovery in Oregon.

“We also call for the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission to finalize its long-awaited wolf management plan, establishing adequate protections – including the implementation of coexistence measures – to allow a healthy wolf population to fully return to Oregon.”